ARTIST INTERVIEW

ーー How was your solo exhibition in New York last year?

Ever since my solo exhibition in New York was decided (during my art performance), I wanted to sing "Imagine" in hopes of world peace. Singing that song in a place called New York was scary and took a lot of courage. However, the dragon inside me was inspired to do it.

When I sang with all my heart in front of the painting, some people shed tears and there was a standing ovation. The best part was that I received praise for my fusion of expression methods such as painting, dancing, and singing, and that many people told me to "Go on!" (with my own unique expression). It was a joy.

At the launch venue, Union Square Cafe (a historic restaurant in New York), I hurriedly sang Imagine at the urging of curator Kyoko Sato. All the other strangers who were present applauded, and I felt the respect and real energy for the living artist, not just the work itself, and the strength of the vitality of human beings.

At the solo exhibition “Self Love For World Peace” held at NIPPON Gallery in NYC, USA (Photo: Jake Price)

ーー This leads to the title of this solo exhibition, "Anthem of Life（生命讃歌）''

Personally, just as I was about to hold my last solo exhibition at YUGEN Gallery, I had a painful experience in my private life, and it forced me to confront the importance of loving myself and the meaning of life more intensely than ever in my life. By carefully regaining the confidence that you once lost over the past two years and deepening your love for yourself without giving up, the love that has been nurtured within will eventually overflow outward, and this is what will lead to world peace. I have arrived at the essence of self-love.

Self-love is often confused with self-love, where all you need to do is be good, but it is actually completely different. Selfish is in a state of facing the outside world, thinking, ``What will happen if I lose?'', but not facing the inside of himself. I don't really love myself. Self-love means carefully facing your inner self and sincerely listening to the voice of your soul.

I believe that each individual should deepen their self-love and self-trust, and regain the original abilities they were given at birth. Since you are honest with your own life, you will be honest with the lives of others. You will be able to interact with the outside world in a way of love. I feel that world peace and self-love are connected.

《Self Love For World Peace / SAORI KANDA》2024 （Photo by Woody Little）

ーー You describe the soul as the "Higher Self."

The image is that the soul does not dwell in each body, but rather watches over us from a position as high as the moon. If you are bound by what is considered common sense in your thoughts and ignore what your soul feels you don't like, the connection between your soul and body will weaken before you realize it, and your vitality, such as motivation and passion, will weaken. It's getting weaker. Now that I realize that, I want to do something about it! I think more and more people are feeling this way.

The body is like an avatar, and the soul keeps sending messages to the body telling it to live a richly emotional life. Carefully listen to and respect the voices of the souls that watch over life. We value things that make our souls flutter. For me, that means singing, dancing, and painting. As we live by releasing the joy of our own souls and sharing the overflowing love, more and more people are starting to express themselves from their souls, and I feel very happy.

In any field, not just art, everyone has their own inner excitement, abilities, and things to share. I'm facing the canvas with a wish to remember that it's okay.

ーー The motif is "dragon and goddess" as a symbol of living a richly emotional life. Are there any changes in expression?

When you sense something in your subconscious that cannot be measured by logic alone, but you are unable to take action, it is a state in which the dragon (which is a symbol of masculinity) has not yet awakened. On the other hand, when you neglect your intuition and senses and act based on others, you are in a state where the Goddess (symbol of feminine life) has not awakened. Since the harmony between the two is most important in order to ``live one's true self,'' this painting depicts the dragon and goddess who respect and love each other.

As a motif, it feels like it's at its peak, and there's a sense of play in the way it's expressed. In addition to trying out new art materials and depictions and painting, he also created a song called "Dragon Goddess Harmony'' at a solo exhibition at the Okaya Art and Archeology Museum in Nagano last summer.

《Dragon ∞ Goddess Harmony - Life Hymn 01 / SAORI KANDA》2024 （Photo by Yoshiyasu Shimo）

ーー This time, I worked on ceramics, which was my first three-dimensional work.

Around spring of this year, I met ceramic artists Hirotake Iida and Kaori Kawashima, and their story of living to the joy of the soul resonated with me. They made a pot and a platter from special white porcelain clay, and I decided to create a piece by painting a harmony between a dragon and a goddess.

On the platter, I painted a message to the sacred Eros, in particular a picture praising the female genitals, with the hope that women would be proud of their own sensual energy and appreciate it as something precious. It was difficult to get used to painting with lapis lazuli and gold, but the new challenge is rewarding.

《Sacred Treasure Sacred Eros "Anthem of Life” / SAORI KANDA》2024 （Photo by Yoshiyasu Shimo）

ーー It is said to be inspired by a sacred treasure. Where did that idea come from?

Last year, during a solo exhibition at the Okaya Art and Archeology Museum, I had the chance to touch Jomon pottery, and learned that they may have been used for rituals. I imagined that the vessel itself was a sacred object, and that it existed at the center of the festival along with dancing and singing, and a passion for creating sacred vessels began to ignite within me.

Having lived in Arab cultural areas such as Iraq and Dubai during my childhood, I can say that the beautiful mosaic art of mosques and the mysterious presence of buildings made of ceramic tiles are my roots. In particular, I have a strong memory of the beautiful Blue Mosque, which was decorated with blue, white, and gold, and for this production, I was particular about choosing the clay for the white porcelain and also using colors such as lapis lazuli and gold.

It's fun to see a piece of work take shape from inspiration. I was worried that it would be annoying if I suddenly asked Iida to make me a pottery when I first met him, so if I hadn't taken action, this work would not have been created. Just intuition. The dragon inside me was inspired and this work was born. It's like "Nice! Dragaon Goddess Harmony".

《Sacred treasure Dragon ∞ Goddess Harmony 01 / SAORI KANDA》2024 （Photo by Yoshiyasu Shimo）